Combined sponge and squeegee window cleaning device



Aug 25, 1953 P. R. LOVELAND 2,649,500

COMBINED SPONGE 'AND SQUEEGEE wmnow CLEANING DEVICE Filed Oct. 20, 1949 E JEIJ E 1:1

I N V EN TOR. pm/l 101 6) 2 m2 BY WM 'OOMBINED'SPO'NGE SQUEEGEE "w nnow CLEANTNG EvioE Y r PrattR. Loveland Application oetop r zo, 19a}? Spifial r 1 clai (0141:4121)- This invention relates ito'a window cleaning device, and more particularly to a' device which may be employed to wash and dry the outer sur faces'of double-hung sash windows from the interior of the building. J 1

Devices to' clean 'theoutside of such windows from the inside have heretofore been suggested, but theyhave been cumbersome, complicated, difficult to manipulate, or otherwise undesirable. The device of my invention is'simple both to construct and to use, is light in weight, and adapted to clean the entire outer surfaceof a window pane in a singleyoperation: Y

Briefly; the disclosed embodiment of the-invention comprises a pad of sponge-like rubber, secured on one face of a backing plate'which may beforaminous. -ne end of'a narrow elongated handle is secured to the plate, and a squeegee is secured to theother end of the handle, a bracing plate preferably being employed to rigidify the connection. The overall thickness of the device is no greater than the space between the frame of the upper'and outer sash and the pane of the lower and inner sash of a common window when it is partly opened. Either A cleaner for double hung sash windowswhich may.

be inserted between sashes when they are in parallel relation. Afurther object of the invention is to provide a window cleaning device particularly adapted for cleaning the entire outer pane surface of the inwardly disposed sash of a double hung. sash window from inside the structure in which the window is disposed. It is also an object to. provide a window; cleaning ,d e vice which is inexpensive, and uncomplicated to manufacture and to operate. In addition itis an object of the invention to provide a window cleaning device in which awashing member and {a wiping, member are'cofnbined sothat each is always conveniently at hand and ready foruseand serves as a gripping means in manipulation. of the other.' Still another object of the invention is the provision of a window cleaning device provided with a washing member including a spongy element which Wil l readily absorb and; release cleaning liquid without requiringwetting of the operators handsth erein. 1 Other and further objects, advantages} and features of th present invention will be apparent l a v I m ma-s8. s'killedl eart from the following description, taken together "with the accompany dew cleaning deviceof this'invention;

f Ffig1lIe 2 l'S arear elevational view thereof; *':Figure-3 is afside elevationalyiew;

=Figure" 4" is "a fragmentary verticalsectional view of aid'ouble'mung sash'window, showing the manner in which therdevice may be' employed; and 1 J. Figure =5 is "a fragmentary=rear' elevational view oflthe device; showing' 'one possible modification thereof. J

v Referring to. the?drawings-ythe window "cleaning deviceof ."this 'inventiom-zgenerally designated at l0, comprises a hand-1e H'" in the'form of a flat bar and of suitable material; assteel, at one end of; WhlCh'iS SGCUIBd" a-washingmember I2 and at the" otheria.wipingimember l3. The washing member .l'2; comprisesa-plate 14 to one face of which. the I: handle l Iris asecured" in any suitable manner;spot -weldingbeing employed in the present instance. --A pad 1-5201: sponge-rubber or the like issecured: on the. plate; either on the same face as the hand-le':l l or=-to-the opposite face. The 'padprefer-ably :largerthanthe 1 plate, so that it" extends beyondthe margins of the plate, as showrrrin "the draWing. --;Any--desired means may he-employed to secureapad on the plate, Such as. a-suitable adhesive;-

fIThel-wipingemember-sw is preferably in the form f a. squeegee;- 6;: which comprises essentially. aestrip: I I of 'flexible material such as rubber received; in avchannel member l8 and projecting partially-therefrom.- The-handle I l preferably is not connected :directlyto the squeegee. Instead. a bracing? plate I 9, preferably of generally triangular. form has one: arm secured to the channelrnemberslfl ;of:the squeegee as by rivets or: other suitable -means.-- 'The other arm of the plate lEprojectingabeyondthe edge ofthe channel;.me-mbegsisrbentrat-anangle to-the arm connected-tothe squeegee, as-will be clear from Eigure 3; ;The-.end ofthe -handle member I l is connected tosaid other; armof the plate l9, so that thewiping ;strip ;l1;.extends at an angle to the handle The handleend, is disposed Within -the angle-of the platei9, and connected by any suitable.- means such. as welding .or riveting. In .Figure. .5 a ;mo.difie d construction is shown mounted on a foraminous ated asra, perforated membe whe e r may of course vary considerably; and might ftirx ample comprise a wire mesh of suitable strength.

The object of employing a foraminous member 20 will be pointed out hereinafter.

The operation of the cleaning device l may briefly be described. The device is grasped by the handle H, and the washing member I2 immersed in a bucket or pan containing suitable cleaning liquid, the pad I5 being compressed if desired to assure a maximum absorption of the liquid. The immersion and manipulation of the washing member to take up the cleaning liquid is readily effective by means of the handle, without requiring that the operators hands engage in the liquid. The inner sash of a doublehung wndow to be cleaned is raised somewhat, and the washing member is inserted between the lower frame member of the outer sash and the the squeegee 16 might be replaced by some other pane of the lower sash, as illustrated in Figure 4. The operator's hand may readily grasp the bracing plate l9 andsqueegee 16, which afford a broad gripping surface, so that the washing member may move back and forth without any rotation about the axis of the handle II. After the window has been thoroughly wet and scrubbed by the pad Hi, the device may be withdrawn from the position shown in Figure 4 and any liquid remaining in the pad may be removed therefrom by squeezing the same against a suitable surface, again merely by means of the handle. The use of a foraminous member 20, such as a perforated plate or the like, facilitates quick and complete discharge of liquid from the pad l5, as Well as assists in the reverse absorbing process when it is desired to take up liquid in the pad.

The device may now be reversed, and the wiping member l3 inserted between the window sashes and employed to dry the window by removing the liquid previously applied to it. The plate M in this case serves as a gripping means for the handle I! to aid in manipulating the squeegee l6 and maintaining it flat against the outer surface of the pane. It will 'be obvious that it is a relatively simple matter to draw the squeegee downwardly from the top of the sash to the bottom, remove any excess moisture thereon, and repeat the operation over a portion of the pane adjacent to that already wiped clear of liquid. The securement of the handle II on the inner face of the angle plate l9, it will be clear, reduces the overall thickness of the device Ill at the wiping or drying end thereof, while providing a stronger, rigid connection with the squeegee. The device may be used-in a similar manner on the outer pane surface of the outer sash, although in this case it is not a matter of importance that the overall thickness of the device he held to any particular maximum. Thus it will be seen that the outer surfaces of double hung sash may readily be cleaned by an operator standing safely within the building. Of course the inner surfaces may also be cleaned by the device of this invention, and the long handle I I is an advantage particularly in connection with the upper sash, since it eliminates any need for standing on a support to reach the upper portions thereof. The perforated construction, with the pad [5 projecting outwardly of the periphery of the backing member, is advantageous in permitting the washer member to be moved into the angle between the pane and sash, and in fact squeezed therein, to assure removal of dirt from such a favorite lodging place. This construction also permits the pane from being scratched by the backing memelement for drying the window, which might be of a type which would absorb the liquid instead of wiping it off. Such a substitution is within the purview of my invention. Again, the wiping element might be omitted and a suitable grip member provided on the end of the handle i I for proper manipulation of the washing member !Z. The construction disclosed, however, is advantageous in that both the washing and drying members are always conveniently at hand when the device is employed, and further in that each of these members serves as a grip for the handle to assure proper manipulation of the other member.

Some changes which may be made in the disclosed embodiment of my invention without departing from the inventive concept have been indicated above, and others Will readily suggest themselves. It is therefore not intended that the invention be limited otherwise than as required by the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a cleaning device for double-hung sash windows, a handle in the form of a long, narrow, metallic, flat bar, a foraminous backing plate of substantially rectangular formation secured to one end of said handle in face to face engagement therewith, a pad of sponge rubber of rectangular formation similar to that of said backing plate, but of greater extent than said backing plate secured to the face thereof opposite to that to which said handle is attached, a bracing late having two arms in angular relation, one arm of said bracing plate being secured to the other end of said handle in face to face engagement therewith, a channel member secured to the other arm of said bracing plate and assuming a longitudinal direction substantially parallel to the plane of said backing plate, and a rubber squeegee carried by said channel member.

PRATT R. LOVELAND.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 333,088 Turner Dec. 22, 1885 1,690,581 I-Iofi Nov. 6, 1928 1,778,121 Paull Oct. 14, 1930 1,790,466 Gordon Jan. 27, 1931 2,191,642 Carvalho Feb. 20, 1940 2,251,384 Thomas Aug. 5, 1941 2,537,482 Reilly Jan. 9, 1951 2,572,112 Coppe Oct. 23, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 51,665 Norway Oct. 24, 1932 120,749 Great Britain Sept. 25, 1917 589,256 France May 26, 1925 

